


More than a gift

by nescamonster



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Fluff, Fun, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 03:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9157591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nescamonster/pseuds/nescamonster
Summary: For Ray and Ryan, cultural differences made a wide gap, one of the northern water tribe, the other from the fire nation. Ryan believes a necklace is just a necklace, right?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xanzs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanzs/gifts).



> For xanzs, hope i did it justice lol my attempt anyway. Just a once off, inspired by some beautiful artwork depicting the guys as benders where Ryan is wearing a betrothal necklace from the water tribe.  
> The artist is actually tumblr user sothisissinning and the original artwork can be found here: http://sothisissinning.tumblr.com/post/155105665475/here-have-a-pile-of-things-that-i-doodled-before  
> Love the style and it's an amazing piece, hope you enjoy the story you inspired!

Geoff Jeremy earth benders

Jack Ray water benders

Ryan Michael fire

Gavin air

 

“I am tired as dicks! That was a long fucking day.” Geoff called back to the group following him, his way of announcing they were stopping for the night by a cool clear pool within the shades of the tree’s. He let his pack fall from his shoulders and fell forward, the ground rushing up to catch him and slowly lower him back down.

Jack laughed, letting his own pack slid into his hand and placing it carefully against a tree. The lads were not as careful, the thuds of packs falling followed by a rush of stripping men running for the pool. Gavin and Jeremy managed to hit water first, Michael paused by Ryan managing to snag shoulder. As Michael watched, Gavin made a wind to pick up the water and fling it into Jeremys laughing face, only for the Earth bender to retaliate, slamming a foot down in the shallows and thrusting a fist up, launching the ground underneath the air bender up, sending him flying into the sky.

“Come on Rye! Gimme a break!” Michael protested, looking longingly at his friends. Jack looked back at the cry, meeting Ryan’s eyes.

“We’ve been reciting all day Ryan, he’s right, let him have some fun.” He pointed out, one mentor to another and Ryan sighed, letting Michael go to join his friends, reaching the water just as Gavin landed, breaking the water tension with a spear of swirling air, sending water everywhere.

Jack could simply raise his hands, deflecting the droplets, Ryan made the air in front of him super-heated, evaporating it and Geoff, without looking up from where he was still faceplanted, raised his arms in a Peake gesture, earth rising up to form a tent around him that the water dripped down.

“Speaking of students, where’s yours Jack?” Ryan asked, looking around for Ray, normally aware of where the lad was at all times but had been distracted by the younger men’s frolicking. Jack shrugged, sitting down next to his pack, reaching in to take out travel rations, the smell of food getting Geoff to let down his tent and sit up.

“No idea, that kid goes wherever he wishes to flow.”

 

Ray, from the moment Geoff had declared break, had slipped away to the opposite more covered side of the pool, sitting within the bushes and pulled out his project. The little carving was almost complete, he just had to finish the main design then smooth the whole thing over. He worked the delicate carving tool over the small amulet, muttering to himself as he worked.

“So, this is for you because you know, unless I read the situation wrong, wish I totally could have, which I probably have and I’ve just wasted all this fucking time doing this stupid fiddly little- OUCH!” His finger had slipped and he nicked himself, putting the amulet on his knee so he could suck on his finger.

“Ray? You ok?” Blood rushed to his face and ray grabbed for the amulet, fumbling it, bouncing it between his hands before he managed to close a fist around it, just as Ryan made his way through the brush to see the lad sitting cross legged on the ground.

“You ok? I heard you yell out.” Ryan asked, concerned, looking him over for injury. Ray smiled, self-conscious and still flushing, touched by Ryan’s worry.

“What? Oh no, I’m fine. Just a little prick.” He held up his finger to show Ryan the small cut, the older fire bender coming to sit next to him and take Rays hand in his own. Ray tucked away the amulet before Ryan could see, the fire bender concentrating on Rays cut finger. He frowned to look at the tiny injury then looked up to Ray.

“Maybe you should ask Jack to heal it. You could get an infection out here.” Ryan told him and ray took his hand back, still tingling from the heat of Ryan’s touch.

“Naww, don’t freak out dude. Bedside’s I’m a water bender myself remember? I could heal it.” Ryan smiled and tilted his head at him.

“Go on then.” Ryan encouraged only making Ray flush harder. He had trouble with the healing lessons Jack had been giving him. To heal you needed to be tranquil and at peace, a still pool of soothing calm to reach into. Ray had problems with that, often Jack would bemoan that he was rapids, water rushing from one place to the next, excitable and fun.

But Ryan took his hand again and looked to him with an expectant smile. Ray sighed and he reached up to his neck, uncapping the small vial of pure spring water that hung there. Ryan had given it to him after Ray had been captured by raiders and had been helpless without a supply of water. After the raider camp, had burnt to the ground, Ryan had gifted him the vial so Ray would never be left defenceless again.

With his free hand, he coaxed the water out and down to wrap around his finger, breathing steady and concentrating on opening his chi gates, sending healing to his finger. As Ryan watched on, the water begun to glow and the small cut closed over. He grinned wider ready to praise ray but the water was moving, traveling from Rays finger over Ryan’s, surprising the Fire bender as it went down his body, caressing him coolly until it slipped into his shoe and he felt the blisters on his heel close over.

“Ray…” he said softly, but the water bender wasn’t done, fixing his other heel then the water was traveling up towards where Ryan had nicked himself shaving. Before it could heal that however, Ryan lifted a hand and brushed the water from him, dispelling Rays concentration. Ray managed to catch the water before it hit the ground and bend it back into its container.

“You needn’t waste your energy on my small hurts.” Ryan pointed out but Ray only felt cold rejection, pulling his hand from Ryan’s and standing up.

“Yeah, sorry for daring to make you comfortable. Fuck me right?” He said, embarrassed that he had healed Ryan without asking permission. It was a different kind of intimacy to be so connected to someone, using their own chi flow and energy to heal.

“Ray, come on. Don’t be like that.” Ryan started as Ray moved off, cursing his own stupidity. He yelped when Ryan barrelled after him, scooping him up into strong arms, a sly and cheeky grin on his face.

“If you like, I’ll make you extremely comfortable water bender.” Ryan teased, Ray confused but laughing, loving being cradled by Ryan, uncaring where they were going.

“What the hell does that mean?!” he cried out, putting up a token resistance, wiggling in Ryan’s arms as if he wished to be free even though he was just where he wanted to be.

“It means you better hold your breath.” Ryan warned then broke through the growth, standing by the pool, the other lads spotting them when Ryan threw Ray, fully dressed, into the water. They laughed at Rays protesting cry cut short when he hit water. Ryan laughed long and deep, hands on his knees.

When Ray got to his head above water, he glared half-heartedly at the fire bender who just raised a brow at him.

“Comfortable?” He asked smugly and Ray smiled back in a way that made Ryan’s own grin drop.

“I’m about to be…” Ray said mysteriously, lifting his hands and Ryan putting his own up warningly.

“No ray! Please! I’m fully dressed!”

“So was I Rye-bread.” Ray pointed out and as the Fire bender tried to flee, Ray made a whip of water, capturing Ryan’s foot and flinging him over head to hit the water in the middle of the pool, the lads swimming over, laughing and cheering Ray.

Ryan’s head broke the surface, the Gent throwing his head back in a laugh, splashing water towards ray only for Ray to lift him up in a swirl of water and let him fall again. Geoff and Jack laughed from the edges of the water as the lads caught up to Ryan, swamping the fire master, dunking him and being dunked in return.

A water brawl broke out, no bending allowed and Ryan was disqualified by finding the loophole in the no bending rule, by using bending techniques without the heat. They played for an hour or so before they all marched out, dripping to get something to eat.

Gavin airdried himself, swirling up onto a ball of air, zooming around the edges of the camp until he felt dry. Ryan stripped his wet clothes up and hung them on tree branches then dried himself by increasing his body heat until the water evaporated. Michael tried to copy him but accidently ignited, Jeremy thinking fast and slamming a foot down, sending the earth under the fire benders feet into a spring board that sent him smouldering into the water.

“Michael, how many times must I tell you? Like the build of coal into flame, slow and steady. If you simply wish to be hot, of course you will combust!” Ryan scolded his apprentice as he shamefaced walked out of the pool, his undergarments now pockmarked and having to trade for fresh one’s. Ryan stood cross armed, monitoring him as Michael tried again, bringing his heat up in increments until he was dry.

Ray had simply pulled all the water from his garments, dumping it back into the river and when Jeremy asked, helped the earth bender to dry as well. Geoff shuddered as he watched the brown liquid come off his own apprentice.

“Disgusting Lil’J. You should always have a nice coating of earth. Look at you! You’re basically fresh faced!” Jeremy rolled his eyes and gestured to Gavin.

“Hit me up gav?” He asked and Gavin obliged, stirring up dirt into a small tornado and sending it at Jeremy, the earth bender turning in it, coating his skin again in a fine covering of dirt. Once he was a dirty brown again and smelling of the element he loved he gave Geoff a sarcastic bow.

“Is that better master?” He asked and Geoff narrowed his eyes. Just as Jeremy did to Michael, Geoff now did to Jeremy, launching him into the pool.

The group settled around the fire that Ryan made with a simple flick of the wrist, night starting to fall. They ate and chatted, talking companionably. They had eaten and were discussing how far they wished to get tomorrow towards their destination. Ray sat next to his master who was talking with Gavin, the nomad having travelled more than any of them but unfortunately, he didn’t have much clue in terms of distances from place to place. Ray looked over the fire at Ryan who smiled warmly at him.

Ray smiled back then his eyes caught in the flame. There the arches of flame were merging to form a picture, a Turtle seal frolicking through the fire. As Ray watched it was joined by another, the two twirling and swimming through the heat together. One spiralled around the other, the first trying to make its way through but the second obviously wished to play. The first gave in and they began to dance together, Ray becoming aware a silence had fallen as the rest of the group became aware of the show.

“Ryan, that’s beautiful.” Jack said as Ryan let the flames consume the seals into nothingness once more. Michael sat forward in his place, hugging his knee’s as he looked to his master.

“That was like the Flame shows I saw as a kid.” Ryan chuckled at that, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously, his eyes flicking to ray then to his apprentice.

“Yes, well, I travelled with a troupe for a time. They were masters at manipulation of each tendril of flame. They taught me how the fire can be a many limbed beast, chaos if left to twine about itself. However,” Ryan had fallen into his lecturing voice, leaning in and sticking a hand in the flame, unburnt as it licked over his fingers, “like any beast, with calm and kindness you can persuade it to be friendly and maybe even move where and how you wish.”

With his fingers, he seemingly shaped the fire into the fire nation symbol. From there he moved it into water bending, the two side by side for a long moment before he sculpted air and earth to join them, having the four rotate around each other for a moment as he spoke.

“I was surprised to learn that Fire sculpting used a water bending technique, the flow of chi from my fingers to hold the shape similar to the way water benders hold the tension of the water as they move it through the air.” He looked over to Ray again, the lad flushing and looking away as once again Ryan let his art be melted back into the fire.

“hmm, well I think Earth sculpting is the best.” Jeremy spoke up into the silence.

“Course you do Lil’J, what else would an earth bender thing?” Michael remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, I think earth sculpting is pretty good too!” Gavin remarked coming to Lil’J defence.

“You grew up in an earth colony!”

“What’s that got to do with it?”

“Michael has a point Gavin, we’re going to think the ones we grew up with are the best.” Jack told him. As they started to argue and bicker, Ray got up and slipped away, feeling Ryan’s eyes on his back.

 

Late that night, the fire had died down and they were sleeping wrapped in their bedrolls, the night too humid to bother setting up shelters. Ryan was laying on his back, his arms behind his head, staring up into the stars. He listened to the sounds surrounding him, the soft noises his companions made as they slept, not so quiet in the case of Geoff who snored and muttered in his sleep.

He looked over at Ray, seeing the lad had curled up on himself, his hands pillowed under his cheek. He smiled to himself, affection for the younger man filling his chest. He sighed it out, using the cover of darkness to really study the lines of Rays face as he didn’t dare to do during the day.

Ray was captivating to him. The water bender was full of fire, an energy that was similar yet different to Ryan’s own. Ray took laid back and made it into an art, and yet he was always there in the thick of things whenever the younger men stirred up mischief. He seemed so fragile with his waif like features giving him an air of vulnerability, but the fire bending master had learnt that he’d give anything to have the young water bending apprentice at his back in a fight.

His master, Jack, may be a healer at heart but Ray, despite his display today by the pool, was more inclined to the martial aspects of water bending. Ryan didn’t know if Ray could blood bend, but the Lad had certainly bent this fire benders heart. Ryan just had no idea how to broach the subject with him.

Certainly, such a young vital water bender wouldn’t want him. An older, reserved and formal fire bender, with no prospects other than to pass on knowledge to whoever wished to learn? He couldn’t even offer the lad a home, Ryan was unable to return to the fire nation until he had atoned. He could offer Ray nothing that would have the man look to him with the love he really wanted to see.

Ryan sighed again, sadder this time and looked back up to the stars.

 

A few nights later, Geoff was leading Jeremy through stances, the earth rippling beneath their feet as they moved with firm steps over the plains the group had settled in. From a distance, Ryan and Michael were copying the earth benders, Ryan feeling it important that they learnt other styles to apply to their own bending. Jack had joined the fire benders, staying back from the unstable earth. Gavin was off racing the gazelle monkeys across the plains and Ray had disappeared into the tents they had set up to protect them from the wind at night.

That was until the lad emerged from the tent and walked over to the fire benders, and jack, His master looking to him all too knowingly as he settled back into a relaxed stance. Ryan and Michael followed suit, looking to see Ray approaching and stopping in front of Ryan.

“I- ah… Here. Take this.” Ray mumbled, not looking up at him as he thrust something small on a woven band at the taller man. Ryan took it and before he could even thank Ray, the lad was walking rapidly away.

“Ok?” Ryan said to thin air as Michael craned his head trying to see what Ryan had in his palm.

“What he gives you?” he asked curiously only for Jack to grab his shoulders and shove him towards the camp.

“He’s got a handful of none of our business. Move idiot.” Jack encouraged the younger man towards the camp, calling out to Geoff and Jeremy, “Play times over! Come get some grub!”

Ryan watched as everyone started to come in from their various activates, his eyes catching on Rays blue covered figure, hovering around the tent entrance and occasionally glancing up at Ryan. Ryan looked down at his hands, his heart beating rapidly, nervous to open his fingers.

Ray had given him a gift. _Ray_ had given _him_ a _Gift…_

He opened his fingers slowly then as he caught a glimpse, he gasped, unfolding his hand completely to admire the carved little blue stone nestled into his palm. It was cool to the touch and a soft blue with deeper colours within the grooves. The design was beautiful, calling to him as he traced a finger over the lines. Three droplets of water descending down the stone, surrounded by a circle of flames that ebbed and moved as waves, giving the design a look that almost seemed to trick the eye into thinking it was moving.

Ryan felt tears prickle and he brought carefully tied it around his neck, lifting a hand to feel the stone nestle at the hollow of his throat. He walked back into camp and joined the others, his eyes finding Rays who flushed when he saw Ryan wearing his gift. Ryan made his way straight over to stand before the water bender.

“thank you. I love it.” He said simply and ray mumbled something unintelligible then slinked away, muttering the excuse of helping Jack bring water to the surface into the round divot of stone that Jeremy had made in the ground under the watchful eye of Geoff.

“Nice bling Rye-rye.” Gavin remarked later over the fire and once again Ryan watched Ray flush. He was confused but touched by the gift and it seemed Ray was the same. He felt he was missing something but their friends weren’t helping. Michael, his apprentice being very smug, looked over the necklace and grinning at Ryan.

“That’s what Ray gave you? Lucky man Rye, only going to get luckier I’m guessing.” Michael winked then yelled out when his head was hit by a ball of water. Surprisingly it wasn’t from Ray, the youngest of their party having disappeared into a tent but by Jack who was looking furious.

“Michael! Leave it alone.” He said warningly and Michael backed off. Ryan was left alone, no more said about the necklace but he lifted a hand and wrapped it around the stone, wondering.

 

The day’s past and lots of leading looks were shot at Ryan and Ray outright avoided him. The fire bender couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong, it was clear he liked the gift, he wore it always and never took it off. He liked to admire it in the water reflection when they stopped, blowing Michael off his feet and singing Gavin’s scarf tail when the two tried to tease him about it.

Ryan’s fellow gents stayed quiet about whatever was going on between the water bending lad and the fire bending master, Jeremy following his masters lead and staying back. Ryan did notice however that Ray walked more often with Jeremy, the two talking quietly together, making the fire bender remember all his training to hold tight to his temper and not imagining Jeremy with his pants on fire.

Jack fell into step with him, looking at the glare he was levelling at Jeremys head then back to his friend.

“He’s just helping his friend Ryan. There’s nothing else between them.” Jack said and Ryan stared, looking to jack and becoming defensive.

“It doesn’t matter to me who he talks to… Why does Ray need help?” Ryan asked quickly, unable to resist. If ray needed help, why wouldn’t he come to Ryan? Unless it was about Ryan… Was this the reason Ray’s been avoiding him? What if Ray wished he had made a necklace for Jeremy instead?

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Being in your own damn head!” Jack shot back and waved a hand at Rays back, “Stop dancing around the issue and give him a straight answer. That’s what he’s talking to Jeremy about if you must know. How you haven’t given any sign that you except. Sure, you wear it, but that’s just polite to do with a gift…” jack grabbed Ryan’s arm, making them halt and waving Geoff Michael and Gavin by.

“Ryan… You do know it’s more than a gift, right?” Jack whispered, realisation on his own face if not on the fire benders. He could see the answer and his eyes widened, jack slapping a hand to his face and shaking it with a groan

“Damn it Ryan! How can you have all this other useful random knowledge and not see a betrothal necklace when it’s wrapped around your own damn throat?!” Jack lamented and Ryan took a step back, grabbing the stone so hard his fingers went white.

“It’s a what?” He had to clarify, had to understand what jack was saying. The water bender put his hands-on Ryan’s shoulders shaking him slightly.

“It’s a northern tribe tradition for a Man to give his chosen a betrothal necklace to indicate his interest and to cement them into a relationship, you air headed moron. Your meant to either tell him yes you except it with everything that comes with it or return it after consideration. Wearing it during consideration isn’t unusual but we all thought you were giving it careful thought. Turns out you’re just a fucking idiot.” Jack laughed as he saw Ryan understand finally what the necklace meant. He looked down then back up to Jack.

“Ray loves me?” He asked simply, jack nodding.

“Enough to gift you that.” He said nodding at the necklace.

Ray and Jeremy looked back when they heard panicked cry’s. They turned to see Ryan blasting by the others, fire in his trail, hot air propelling him forward and before Ray could react, Ryan’s arms were around him, his fire encircling them as the gent encircled the young bender and seized rays head in his large warm hands.

“I accept.” Ryan gasped then claimed Rays lips with his own, the kiss as hot as the man himself, Ray feeling as if he was being consumed by fire and life as Ryan deepened his kiss, wrapping arms around Ray and pulling him off his feet. Ray didn’t care, his own arms coming around Ryan’s neck, feeling the necklace band with his fingers and all the indecision and second guessing he had been doing melted away like water off the icepacks of his frozen home.

Ryan loved him and they were betrothed. Ray could have been an air bender for how light he was feeling, a fire bender with how hot and an earth bender, grounded in Ryan’s touch. But he was a water bender and so he softened, melting into his chosen as Ryan lit up the area with a fire that caressed them but refused to burn.

“About fucking time!” Geoff yelled out from outside the inferno that was twisting around the couple.

“that’s not going to happen every time they kiss, is it?” Gavin asked warily, eyeing the fire that felt plenty hot from the outside. Michael folded his arms and the fire bender winking knowledgably at his friend.

“Maybe they should have their own tent from now on.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, please check out the second fic i'm working on, my own version of the Avatar au. Many roads lead home.  
> This one was in sothisissinnings au world, so i've made a diffrent au just so i could shuffle some bending and backstory   
> either way enjoy :)


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